Owers Warwick Architects were commissioned by British Land to transform a 1980s retail park on Botley Road, Oxford, into a state-of-the-art hub for laboratories and offices. The 35,000m² development will serve as the anchor project for a new, emerging R&D cluster on the edge of Oxford’s city centre—offering a distinctive alternative to the traditional science park model.
The scheme comprises three buildings arranged to create new pedestrian routes and public squares, all set within a thoughtfully designed landscape. This setting is conceived as a place to foster scientific innovation and collaboration—both among occupiers and with the wider community.
The architecture uses materiality and the expression of building functions to break down the massing into a more human scale. From a distance, the buildings blend seamlessly into the cityscape, preserving key views of Oxford. Up close, they reveal carefully proportioned, finely crafted facades and spatial layouts, offering both functionality and a sense of place.
The masterplan sets the main building back from Botley Road, enhancing its presence along the existing tree-lined boulevard. Two L-shaped buildings frame the site, opening up to form a welcoming approach that leads into a beautifully landscaped central courtyard. This space is accessible to both the public and building users, with a café and community meeting space located at the prominent corner to encourage movement and engagement with the courtyard.
The buildings are designed for flexibility, accommodating a range of tenant sizes—from scaling startups to more established organisations. The layout supports fully fitted laboratories, with a 50:50 lab-to-office ratio, providing adaptable, high-performance spaces for scientific work.
Greening on site
Ground floor activity
Site permeability
Roof form
Sustainability is embedded in every aspect of the design. The project is targeting BREEAM Outstanding certification and is conceived as a virtually car-free development. Instead, it provides over 350 secure cycle spaces and benefits from excellent public transport links—just a 15-minute walk from Oxford train station and well served by local bus routes.
